Mobile's Serda Brewing announces opening dates

The beer is almost here: Serda Brewing has announced its opening dates.

According to information posted at the company's Facebook page, Serda Brewing will hold an "open day" on Saturday, Nov. 25, followed by a grand opening on Friday, Dec. 1.

According to the post, the craft brewery will open at 4 p.m. weekdays and noon on Saturdays and Sundays, closing at 10 p.m. most days but at 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

The brewery occupies the site of a former Goodyear Service Center at 600 Government St.

It has been more than three years since John Serda, owner of Serda's Coffee, went public with plans to launch a downtown brewery, and more than a year since Serda and his partners locked in the Goodyear location as the home of their project. Along the way, a Serda Brewing Kickstarter campaign exceeded its $25,000 goal by several thousand dollars. "We really appreciate your patience and support while we made our way through construction and first brews," said the post announcing the opening dates.

The site has undergone extensive renovations this year, transforming a long-vacant eyesore into a showplace. According to www.serdabrewing.com, planned beers include a "flagship Pilsner" called the Hook Line & Lager, a Vienna-style brew called Tidewater, a Mobile Bay IPA and a Clear Prop porter.

Serda Brewing will be Mobile's first functioning microbrewery since Mr. Jim's Cannon Brewpub closed in 2009; since then, changes to state law have aided the brewing industry, which has blossomed around the state, particularly in Birmingham and Huntsville.

Mobile has at least two more brewing operations in development: Iron Hand, a brewpub based in De Tonti Square, and Haint Blue, which has faced difficulty in finding a location and has brewed beer in Mississippi in the meantime.